SGBR on Show in Queenstown
Posted on April 13th, 2016
Queenslanders taking over Queenstown (NZ) was the theme of this year’s “Queensland on Tour” hosted by Tourism and Events Queensland’s New Zealand office.
Fifty (50) Queensland operators and regional tourism organisations (RTO’s) descended upon this gorgeous tourist town for two days of ninety (90) back to back appointments, selling our destinations and product to NZ tourism retailers and wholesale trade.
The Southern Great Barrier Reef destination was well received, with major NZ Wholesaler, Go Holidays (which has about 600 retail travel agents throughout NZ) featuring our destination product in their brochure for the first time this year!.
Another major NZ wholesaler, House of Travel, continues to support our SGBR destination, whilst Flight Centre bookings from NZ to SGBR product increased by 20% last year.
Travel media was very keen to interview us about what’s new in the SGBR, the third time we have been featured in Traveltrade.
In addition to our new accommodation and tour product, one new transport product we could promote was the Jetgo flights which travel direct from the Gold Coast to Rockhampton four days a week. The Gold Coast is the highest visited Queensland destination by the kiwis, so as a suggested add on to their holiday, this domestic flight option was received well. With code sharing between international and domestic flights on Virgin and Qantas to Rockhampton, Gladstone and Bundaberg, the affordability and accessibility of our SGBR destination is appealing, and with our local Budget rent-a-car franchisee for Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg and Hervey Bay, we have a great opportunity to waiver one way car drop-offs for our SGBR customers booking through their NZ retailers.
This is our sixth consecutive year pro-actively working within the NZ tourism market, and as one of our destination’s top five international markets, the results are showing.
Sincere thanks to Kaz Gunther from Yeppoon Accommodation (Salt, Echelon and Beaches on Lammermoor), Zac Garven from Empire & Edge Rockhampton, and Geoff Pilbeam from Heron Island Resort for joining this trade mission to promote not just their fantastic products but the SGBR destination (in the tourism industry, we promote “destination first, product second”).
These tourism trade missions are also a great opportunity for our operators to meet fellow operators in Queensland and share business to business ideas in operations and marketing. It also takes us away from the day to day work in our own businesses, to experience how established destinations succeed. As visitors ourselves, it reminds us about the customer experience perspective.
Thanks also to Empire Rockhampton, Capricorn Caves, Salt Yeppoon, Freedom Fastcats and Heron Island Resort for providing complimentary accommodation and tours for the SGBR prize which was won by a very excited NZ retailer who has not yet been to Australia.
Until next time
Mary Carroll
CEO, Capricorn Enterprise
